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Take 8 strong-bodied percussion, acrobatic, dancing human beings and pair them with Zippo lighters, small brooms, large brooms, paper and plastic bags,
basketballs, cans of all sizes and, oh yes, don’t forget the kitchen
sink and you have “Stomp”. They almost defy you not to tap your toes,
clap your hands, snap your fingers and laugh but you won’t be able to
help yourself eventually giving in to the rhythms they produce from the
aforementioned items, and others, making their own kind of music.
This
ensemble works so closely with each other that when they throw things
high up and across on the stage you know the persons on the receiving
end will catch that flying can or ball. You know when they swing sticks
at each other no one will be hurt--at least not at this performance.
On
a two tier sort of junkyard set they use every inch available to make
sounds that make sense no matter what they are using. There is no sexism
here as the two women do everything and anything plus a little more
than the men do. They all climb up and all over the set, ring bells,
make music in large tires, play newspapers as instruments, bang drums or
use cans of all sizes as drums. They even have supermarket wagons
dancing and making music. You keep on waiting, impatiently, to see what
they will use next and how.
This
cast uses every part of their body, whether it just be a hand or face
gesture or all out stomping of their feet while clapping their hands to
make you laugh and you will be surprised how often that will be. When
was the last time a Zippo lighter made you laugh out loud?
The
troupe is so equal in what they do it wouldn’t be fair to point out any
one performer and, in most cases, because they don’t provide pictures
next to their names in the Playbill, it actually is hard to attach a
name to a performer. These people don’t speak a word while 2 add a
mouth oriented sound effect now and then but they earn your applause,
and respect, not only for what they do with what is handed them but the
sheer energy they expend and how they earnestly get the audience
involved. Whether ten or twenty years from now their body will pay for
all they are doing with it on stage remains to be seen but they give you
their all.
Running time: One hour and forty minutes without an intermission.
Coming next to the Adrienne Arsht Center on New Year’s Day is the touring company of “Mary Poppins”
followed by “Les Miserables” February 26, “Priscilla Queen of the
Desert” April 2 and “Memphis” on May 7.
On December 18 at the Broward Performing Arts Center “Sister Act”
